06x06 - True Q

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Star Trek: The Next Generation". Aired: September 28, 1987 – May 23, 1994.*
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Series is set 78 years after the original series -- in the 24th century.
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06x06 - True Q

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Captain's log, stardate 46192.3.

We have arrived at Star base 112

and are loading relief supplies
for Tagra IV,

an ecologically devastated planet
in the Argolis Cluster.

We have also taken on
a rather unusual passenger.

Welcome, Miss Rogers.
I'm delighted to have you on board.

- Thank you.
- And congratulations.

I understand you were selected
for this internship from hundreds.

Yes, sir.
I still can't believe they chose me.

- There were others better qualified.
- Her transcript is impressive.

She's done work
in neurobiology, plasma dynamics

and eco-regeneration.
I'd say that's pretty well-rounded.

A nice way of saying I haven't
decided what to do with my life.

You'll work in all our departments
while you're here.

By the time it's over, you'll know
what field you're interested in.

Or what fields
you're not interested in.

Come.

We're bringing up the cargo.
We can leave in an hour.

Escort Miss Rogers to her quarters.

We need to discuss
the Tagrans' medical needs.

- Miss Rogers?
- Yes?

You've won yourself a rare
opportunity. Avail yourself of it.

I will, sir. And thank you.

It'll take a few days
before you know where everything is.

If you need any help,
use one of these comm panels.

We're on deck seven, section four.

- You're right.
- I practically memorized the specs.

You're a quick study. This is it.

- Is this for me?
- It's all yours.

It's so big.

For honours students, only the best.

Well, I could have brought my zoo.

- Your zoo?
- That's what my parents call it.

- Three dogs isn't that many, is it?
- It depends how they get along.

I could have had a dozen.
Mother said enough is enough.

I'm sure gonna miss 'em.

We'll keep you so busy, you won't.

I've gotta get back to cargo bay two.

Well, thanks for walking me down.

Sure.

No!

No, I didn't mean it.

You guys can't stay here.

Come on, all of you.

Hello.

Come here, little one.

You, too. Come on.

Space, the final frontier.

These are the voyages
of the Starship Enterprise.

Its continuing mission
to explore strange new worlds,...

..to seek out new life
and new civilizations,...

..to boldly go
where no one has gone before.

See all these read-outs?

That's your heart rate, blood
pressure, all your vital signs.

You're in good shape.
You might just live to be my age.

All these tricorders need testing
before they can be sent to Tagra.

So I should scan myself with each
to make sure they're working?

Any that doesn't,
put aside and we'll do a diagnostic.

OK.

I hear you've been accepted
to the Academy. I have a son there.

Being posted on the Enterprise,
you don't get to see him very often?

No, not as often as I'd like.

Do you have any other children?

My husband d*ed a number of years
ago. Wes was our only child.

Was he old enough to know his father?

Jack d*ed when he was five.

My parents d*ed when I was a baby.
I don't remember anything about them.

Sometimes, I wonder
what they were like.

Your adoptive parents
are in Starfleet?

Yeah, marine biologists. They've just
been posted to the Bilaren System.

Sickbay to Dr Crusher. You wanted
to know when the cultures were ready.

On my way.

When you've finished, take
the tricorders to the shuttle bay.

OK.

Thank you very much for your help.

We can use every available hand.

This is one of
our largest relief efforts.

Why bring everything down
in shuttlecraft?

We can't use the transporters
due to ionization in the atmosphere.

- From the baristatic filters?
- How did you know that?

I did a paper on eco-regeneration.

A thousand baristatic filters
put out quite a bit of ionization.

- A thousand?
- Yeah.

They've polluted their atmosphere
pretty badly.

They go to such lengths
to clean the air

instead of regulating the emissions
that cause the problem.

Yeah, you're right.

The only thing the filters can do
is keep things from getting worse.

They sh**t the air...

Commander. Are you alright?

- You OK?
- I didn't even see it coming.

This is the main control area.

We can access any primary circuit
from all of these panels.

Over here is a Jefferies tube.

Where the major conduits
are routed.

You've done your homework.

It's hard to imagine
the energy in there.

Imagination is not necessary.
The scale is readily quantifiable.

We are presently generating
12.75 billion gigawatts...

Temperature in the reactor chamber
is up 47 percent.

Couplings are frozen.
I can't slow the reaction.

Temperature increase
is at 106 percent and rising.

Bridge.
We're looking at a core breach.

We'll have to vent the plasma.

- Inductors not responding.
- We'll lose containment.

Everybody, out of here now.
Let's go. Move it.

Bring down the isolation door.
Eject the warp core.

Temperature in the reaction
chamber has returned to normal.

She's a little shaken up,
but she's gonna be fine.

You said she was adopted.
Could she be an alien?

She's human. There's nothing unusual
about her that I can detect.

Have you determined
the cause of the warp breach?

No. It was all normal,

and then the laws of physics
went out the window.

And why shouldn't they?
They're so inconvenient.

- Q!
- Mon capitaine.

Are you responsible
for this incident?

Yes. I needed to find out if what
I suspected about the girl were true.

- That being?
- That she's Q.

- Amanda's a Q?
- How is that possible?

Her biological parents were human.

Well, not exactly.

They had assumed human form in order
to visit Earth for amusement.

But in vulgar human fashion,
they conceived a child.

And then like mawkish humans
became attached to it.

What is it about squirming infants
that you find so appealing?

- That's beyond your comprehension.
- I desperately hope so.

- What happened to Amanda's parents?
- They d*ed in an accident.

None of us knew if she had
inherited the capacities of the Q,

but they've begun to emerge
and, as an expert in humanity,

I was sent to investigate.

You, an expert in humanity?

Not a very challenging
field of study, I grant you.

Are you saying you created
a core breach just to test this girl?

And if she couldn't stop it?

Then I would have known
she wasn't a Q.

And now that you know,
what do you intend to do?

Instruct her.

If this child does not learn
how to control her power,

she may accidentally destroy herself.
Or all of you. Or your entire galaxy.

I don't believe that you're here
to do us a favour.

You're quite right, I wouldn't,

but there are those
in the Continuum

who have an over-exaggerated
sense of responsibility.

They want to take precautions
to keep her from running amuck.

And once you've taught her,
then you'll go away?

And leave her here? Of course not.

She'll come back to the Continuum.

Wait a minute. You can't take her
from everything she's ever known.

I assure you I can.

She has plans. She wants
to have a career and a family.

I'm rescuing her
from that miserable existence.

That miserable existence
is all she's known for 18 years.

You have no right
to take her away from it.

Mon capitaine, I think
that we need to speak privately.

Well, there, that's better.

Crusher gets more shrill
with each passing year.

Q, what is it you really want?

Since you know so much about the Q,
you can introduce me to the child.

Let her know she can trust me.

I don't trust you.
Why should I expect Amanda to?

She'd better,
because I'm all she's got.

She needs me to prepare her
for her future with the Q.

What if she doesn't want that future?
It must be her decision.

Yes! Do you think she will want
to remain an enfeebled mortal?

But if she really is Q,
she must understand what that means.

Very well. I will introduce you.

But we cannot argue like this
in front of her.

We must at least appear to be...

Pals?

Civil.

I knew I could count on you,
Jean-Luc.

Mr. Data, I want you to access any
available records on Amanda Rogers.

Yes, Captain.

I want to know about her biological
parents, about their death.

I find it odd that any Q
could die in an accident.

It is not consistent
with what we know, sir.

I'm convinced
Q isn't telling us everything.

- See what you can find out.
- Aye, sir.

It started happening
about six months ago.

Things that I would wish for
would just suddenly appear.

I thought I was going crazy.

In a funny way, finding this out
is kind of a relief.

I can understand that.

This person I mentioned, from the
Q Continuum, would like to meet you.

If it's alright with you.

- I'm ready.
- Good.

There's my girl.

Amanda, allow me to introduce Q.

He's an acquaintance of ours.
We've known him for years.

Impressive how
you contained that expl*si*n.

- What else have you done?
- I don't understand.

Telekinesis? Teleportation?

Spontaneous combustion
of someone you don't like?

That sort of thing.

What Q is asking is have you ever
deliberately used your abilities?

Not until I came here.

The first time was when the container
almost fell on Cmdr Riker.

You handled that well. That's why
I gave you a greater challenge.

The warp-core breach.

She has potential, this one.

She can return right now.

- What?
- Q.

I don't want to go anywhere.

Don't worry, with time
you'll overcome your disadvantages.

No one will hold it against you
for having been human. Let's go.

Leave me alone!
I'm not going anywhere with you.

You agree she has a right
to choose her own future.

- Then you try to abduct her.
- You're overreacting as usual.

I was merely testing her powers.
She's quite a little spitfire now.

What's going on, Q?
What's your real purpose here?

I've been clear. The Continuum
has a vested interest in this woman.

If you wish to protect that
investment, approach her differently.

She was being impetuous.

She'll just have to start
behaving like a Q.

If I'm not mistaken, she just did.

You understand, don't you?

It's just that
I have these things I want to do.

I'm going to go to the Academy,
I want a career,

and I want to join Starfleet.

- You can still do all those things.
- It just seems so complicated now.

These powers that I have
are just going to stand in the way.

- I don't want to deal with that.
- Well, you're going to have to.

Listen, I can only imagine
how you feel.

And it certainly would be easier
if this would just go away.

But it's not going to go away.

And you need someone to help you.

And the person
who can help you is Q.

But he's so horrible.

He is the only one who can help you
to understand who you are.

Amanda, you are going to have to make
some hard choices about your future.

And you can't make them
if you're going to ignore the truth.

Yeah.

I know.

But I don't want any of this
to disrupt my time here.

I want to do everything
that I'm expected to do.

And I don't want you
to treat me any differently.

Please.

You've got a deal.

When you're free,
join me in the Medical lab.

I have an experiment
I need your help with.

Yes, ma'am.

Your progress, Q?

As anticipated,
there are some problems. I need time.

However, it's possible
we won't have to terminate the girl.

Come in.

Hello, my dear. I've been told
I behaved badly. I apologize.

Apparently, you had every reason
to chastise me.

But then again,
what's done is done, right?

- I'd like to ask some questions.
- Anything.

What exactly are the Q?

It would be so much easier
to show you than tell you.

If you would agree to take
a visit to the Continuum...

No, just tell me.

Well, to put it simply,
we're omnipotent.

There's nothing, nothing we can't do.

- And what do you do with this power?
- Anything we want.

- Do you use it to help others?
- I think you've missed the point.

Clearly, you've spent
far too much time with humans.

As a Q, you can have your heart's
desire, instantly, whatever it is.

Would you like precious jewels?
Works of art?

Would you like to walk
along the rings of Tautine?

- I'm not interested in any of those.
- Of course not. You're a Q.

But surely there must be something
that you want?

Something that you never dreamed
was possible.

Tell me, Amanda. What is it?

I'd like to know
what my parents looked like.

- My real parents.
- How quaint.

So do it.

- What do you mean?
- Summon the image.

- I don't know how.
- Think about them.

Evoke the memory.

You can do it, Amanda.

Trust me.

Close your eyes.

In your mind, return to the time
when you were an infant.

Think about your parents.
Remember them.

Good.

Now, open your eyes.

They loved me.

Wait for it to be metabolized
at another 20?

Wait for it to be metabolized
over and over,

and wait till the bacilli
can't be absorbed any more.

That's right.

Just be sure and record the rate
of mitosis from each of the dishes.

Mitosis, right.

You seem distracted.

Well, I just saw my parents.

My real parents. Q showed me how.

Can you imagine how that felt?

No, I don't think I can.

You know, you were right,
I can't ignore what's happened to me.

I just don't know
if I can cope with it.

Amanda, you are stronger
than you think.

You know, when I saw them there,
right in front of me,

I realized
that I caused this to happen.

I wanted to see them and I did.

If it were you, if suddenly you
could have anything you wanted, ...

..what would it be?

I have no idea.

No, think about it. Really think.

If suddenly you could make anything
happen, what would it be?

Well, I would probably want
to heal people,

people who are hopelessly ill.

Would you bring your husband back?

Amanda, I don't know.

And I don't think that I could
make a decision like that

until I was actually faced with it.

I am faced with it.

Try to do the work.

I'll check on you later.

I thought she'd never leave.

I don't know
if I'll ever get used to that.

It's time for another lesson.

Well, I have to finish
this experiment first.

What are you doing?

We're delivering live vaccine bacilli
to Tagra.

I'm meant to find
the best nutrient solution

to keep them living
while they're in stasis.

Fascinating.
I've just had a splendid idea.

Why don't we combine
what you're doing with our lesson,

and you'll finish in no time.

I should finish it
the way Dr Crusher showed me.

She'd be delighted
if we sped things along.

Think what it would mean.
You could triple the workload.

- Well...
- Good.

I guess so.

Now, as you take a look
at the tissue samples, ...

..form an image in your mind.

Dr Crusher has some
live vaccine bacilli for Tagra

to be shipped in a stasis field.

- Can you arrange it?
- I'll get right on it.

Captain,
message coming in from Tagra IV.

On screen.

Enterprise,
I am Orn Lote, Engineer.

We are having difficulties

with the reactor that powers
our baristatic filters.

We may have to shut it down
for repairs.

- Could my Chief Engineer assist?
- I hope so.

If we're forced
to disable the reactor,

it would take months
to re-establish the ionic currents

the filters have formed
in the atmosphere.

Send us your specifications.
I'm sure we can help.

Thank you.

- Captain?
- What is it, Mr. Data?

I have some information
regarding Amanda Rogers' parents.

They d*ed in Topeka, Kansas. Their
home was destroyed during a tornado.

Tornado? Why wasn't it dissipated
by the weather-modification net?

Unknown. The bodies were discovered
after the storm passed.

See if you can find any more details.
I'd like to know more.

Aye, sir.

Well, if it isn't Number Two.

I was looking for Dr Crusher
to see what nutrients to send.

I'm not sure.
I'll tell her to contact you.

Thanks.

You could stay here and wait for her,
if you, you know, wanted to.

Tell her I'll be in shuttle bay two.

- You're attracted to him.
- I am not.

I think you are.

How repulsive.

How do you stand
that hair all over his face?

Doctor, Cmdr Riker was looking
for you. He's in shuttle bay two.

Thank you.

- Have you finished already?
- Yes.

- How did you do it so quickly?
- Q helped.

It took us half the time
it would have normally taken.

That explains this data.

I needed to know
the rates of mitosis.

By artificially inflating them,
you made the experiment useless.

- Now I have to do it all over again.
- I'm sorry, Doctor.

Don't be sorry.

If she wants to make things
difficult, that's her business.

- Why did you interfere?
- She's a Q.

Making her plod through human chores
is beneath her.

She asked to be treated normally.

- Don't bore her.
- I don't interfere with what you do.

- You'd be incapable!
- You should do the same.

And you stay out of mine.

Well, when you put it like that,
I think you're absolutely right.

- Captain?
- Yes, Mr. Data?

I have more information on the
tornado that k*lled Amanda's parents.

What is it?

It was unusually compact
yet extremely powerful.

Its wind velocity was characteristic
of a funnel three times its size.

Download the files to my ready room.
I'll study them there.

Aye, sir.

Have you practised teleportation?

Yes, but it's hard. I keep ending
up somewhere I don't want to be.

It won't do to be sloppy.

You should hone your abilities.
I have a wonderful idea.

Why don't we play a little game?

I'll hide somewhere on the ship
and you find me.

But how do I know how?

Don't worry, Amanda. You can do it.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

If we use phase buffers,
we may be able to devise

a mechanism that can be integrated
into the present system.

You're still thinking like a human.

Now do you understand?

What do humans have to offer that
even begins to compare with that?

Your future contains wonders
you can't even imagine.

The universe
could be your playground.

Dr Crusher and Counsellor Troi,
they're taking me to dinner.

You don't have to eat, you know.

It's a nasty human habit
you could easily do without.

- Hello, Amanda. Are you ready?
- Yes.

Well, Amanda,
how are you feeling about this now?

It must be overwhelming.

It was at first,
but now I'm enjoying myself.

- Hello, ladies.
- Hello, Will.

Cmdr Riker.

Won't you join us?

I'd love to, but I have other plans.

- Hi.
- Hi.

So, how are your lessons going?
Is Q being patient with you?

Amanda?

What is this all about?

I thought it might be nice
to spend some time alone together.

I think it would be nice
if you took us back to ten-forward.

Are you sure you wouldn't want
to stay here with me for a while?

The moonlight is so beautiful.

Isn't it nicer here
than at ten-forward?

Yes, it's very pleasant,
but that's not the point.

I think it is.

No.

You can't snatch people
and put them into your fantasies

and expect them to respond.

Don't you like me?
Even just a little bit?

You're a very lovely young lady.

But none of this is real.

- My feelings are real.
- I know.

But you can't make someone love you.

Can't I?

Oh, Amanda.

You are so beautiful.

- Do you love me?
- More than anything.

You're right.

None of this is real.

I thought it would be romantic, ...

..but it's empty.

- Amanda.
- Just go back to ten-forward.

Bonjour, mon capitaine.
You wanted to speak with me.

I wanted to ask you
about Amanda's biological parents.

When they decided to remain on Earth,

what was the reaction
in the Q Continuum?

We found it incomprehensible.

Were they pressured to return?
Were they threatened if they didn't?

What are you driving at, Picard?

The circumstance
of their deaths is odd.

A tornado somehow
escaped the weather-modification net

and touched down in only one spot.

- Amanda's home.
- You can never predict the weather.

But tornadoes develop
from existing storm fronts.

But there were no storm fronts
in Kansas that day.

Witnesses report the funnel
materialized spontaneously,

directly over Amanda's home,
destroyed it and disappeared.

If you say so. I wasn't there.

Were Amanda's parents
ex*cuted by the Q Continuum?

And what if they were?

She has a right to know that before
making a choice about her future.

Don't be foolish, Picard.
She has no choice. She never did.

If she's truly a Q, she must return
to the Continuum where she belongs.

But if she were a hybrid,
neither human nor Q, then...

You would be so despicable?

Don't be naive. You have no idea
what it means to be Q.

With unlimited power
comes responsibility.

Do you think
we can allow omnipotent beings

to roam free through the universe?

So what have you concluded?
Does she live or does she die?

I haven't decided yet.

Captain's log, stardate 46 193.8.

We have arrived at Tagra IV
and begun delivering supplies.

In the meantime, I face a crisis
of a different nature.

Look, I have no reason to believe
that Q is lying.

He claims he has orders
from the Continuum.

If Amanda cannot prove
she is fully Q, he must k*ll her.

We have to tell her.

I don't know if we should.
It almost seems cruel.

Maybe she can protect herself.

After all,
she has a great deal of power.

So did her parents.
It didn't save them.

I agree with the Counsellor.

Amanda deserves to know
her situation.

We have no right to hold
such crucial information from her.

But it isn't going to be easy
telling her.

What is your impression
of the field modulator?

Quite ingenious. I...

I'm amazed at how it is incorporated
with the existing system.

Commander, we're all loaded.
We can head for the surface.

I'm eager to see the field modulator
in place, Commander. I...

- We'd better get going.
- Yes.

k*ll me?

But why?

They're not convinced
that you are fully Q.

And they are also responsible
for your parents' death.

My parents?

But what right do they have?

Q? Answer me.

Are you afraid to face me?

She's such a plucky little thing now,
isn't she.

I really do enjoy you, you know.

Amanda's question deserves an answer.

You've made yourself judge, jury
and, if necessary, executioner.

By what right have you
appointed yourself to this position?

Superior morality.

Yes.

I recall how you used your superior
morality when we first met you.

You tried us
for the crimes of humanity.

The jury's still out on that,
Picard, make no mistake.

Your arrogant pretence at being
the moral guardians of the universe

strikes me as being hollow, Q.

I see no evidence that you are guided
by a superior moral code,

or any code whatsoever.

You may be nearly omnipotent,

and I don't deny that your
parlour tricks are very impressive,

but morality? I don't see it.
I don't acknowledge it, Q.

I would put human morality
against the Q's any day.

And perhaps that's the reason
that we fascinate you so.

Because our puny behaviour
shows you a glimmer of the one thing

that evades your omnipotence,
a moral centre.

And if so,
I can think of no crueller irony

than that you destroy
this young woman,

whose only crime
is that she's too human.

Jean-Luc, sometimes I think
the only reason I come here

is to listen to these wonderful
speeches of yours.

But this time,
your concern is unwarranted.

We've decided not to harm her.

And we are prepared
to offer her a choice.

- What kind of choice?
- Come to the Continuum with me...

- Or?
- Now this choice is more difficult.

You have it within yourself
to refrain from using the power of Q.

- If you do that, you can stay here.
- Then, I'm staying here.

Think about this.
This is not so easy.

Your parents were given this choice

and they were unable to resist
the temptation of using their power.

All I've wanted
since this whole thing began

is to become
a normal human being again.

I know I can resist.

Worf to Picard.
Emergency message from Cmdr Riker.

I'm on my way.

Captain, the damage to the reactor
is greater than we were told.

The field modulator is operational,

but it won't be enough.
The reactor's overloading.

Can you correct it?

Geordi is trying now.
We will stay as long as possible.

There are thousands here,
if the reactor goes...

Commander. Quickly.

- Is this your doing, Q?
- Not this time, Picard.

Mr. Worf, see if we can cut through
the interference and beam them out.

Aye, sir.

Captain, Geordi is trying a neutrino
infusion to smother the reaction.

There's too much ionization.
Transporters are useless.

The heat has fused the injector.
We're losing containment.

- How long till meltdown?
- A few minutes.

- Look at this!
- This is impossible.

I don't know what's happening,

but the reaction
is stabilizing on its own.

Captain, I am reading a massive
energy fluctuation in the atmosphere.

On screen.

Contaminants have dropped
to less than one part per trillion.

The ecosystem has been restored
to its natural state.

Amanda?

I told you it would be harder
to resist than you thought.

I couldn't let all those people die.

Ever since I got here,
I've been fighting this.

I've been denying the truth.

Denying what I am.

I am Q.

Dr Crusher,
I've decided that I can't stay.

I can't stay here.

Well, now that you've come
to your senses, let's go.

No. I want to go
and see my parents first.

It'll take time to explain all this,
so you'll have to be patient.

I hope I can come back and see you.

You're a Q.
You can do anything you want.

(ENGLISH)
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